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March 22, 1955 E, R. DowNE PRESSURE REGULATOR MEANS FOR GAS PILOT BURNER Filed Nov. 17, 1950 United States Patent O PRESSURE REGULATOR lVIEANS FOR GAS PILOT BURNER Edward R. Downe, Elyria, Ohio, assignor to The C. A.

Olsen Manufacturing Company, Elyria, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 17, 1950, Serial No. 196,163 2 Claims. (Cl. 158-115) This invention relates to installations of gas burning appliances of the class such as furnaces, boilers, and the like wherein a combustion chamber is served by one or more main burners, which in turn have service from a pilot burner.

An object of the present invention is to provide regulation of gas supply to the pilot burner, independent of main burner gas supply during main burner outage, but affected by manifold gas pressure to increase gas supply to the pilot burner.

Thereby, as a further object, close pilot adjustment for reliable pilot operation on minimum gas, may be had during periods of main burner outage, pilot gas is automatically increased on call for heat and supply of main burner gas, for sure ignition thereof, and the high pilot maintained during main burner operation.

The invention is particularly applicable to the usual arrangement in such an appliance, wherein a main gas supply manifold is transversely disposed outside the combustion chamber, each main burner having a mixing portion extending to the manifold for gas supply thererom.

Another object is to accomplish the above, by most convenient application to an appliance not theretofore so equipped.

More specifically, the invention includes employment of a pilot gas regulator having a vent, and mounting the regulator on the manifold by means providing intercolnnection between the vent and the interior of the manifo d.

Further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which is a view somewhat conventionalized, generally in front elevation but including parts in typical sectional elevation, illustrating an embodiment of the invention as applied to a typical gas appliance.

With reference now to the drawing, 1 is the head of a main gas burner and 2 is a gas supply manifold therefor, the burner Vhaving a mixing tube generally indicated at 3 withinlet openings 4 for primary air and the manifold having a spud 5 for injecting fuel into the mixing portion 3 of the burner, wherein ow of primary air is induced through the openings 4, the resultant mixture having combustion in secondary air at the burner head 1.

The burner head 1 is located within the combustion chamber of an appliance, which has a front opening bounded by a frame 6, the manifold 2 is disposed transversely outside the opening, the mixing portion of the burner extends through the opening from the head 1 to the manifold 2, and the opening admits secondary air to the combustion chamber for combustion therein of primary mixture at the burner head 1.

It will be appreciated that the manifold 2 may, as it usually does, serve a plurality of similar burners in sideby-side relation in the combustion chamber.

A pilot conventionally indicated at 7 having a pilot gas supply 8 is located within the combustion chamber adjacent the burner 1 therein, for ignition service thereof.

Main burner gas supply, to the manifold 2, may be subject to either manual, thermostatic, or other automatic control.

The pilot 7 may be used for automatic ignition, be a safety pilot, or simply a constant burning pilot, as 1s well understood in the art. Generally speaking, however, in any event, it is intended that the pilot 7 be in operation 2,704,572 Patented Mar. 22, 1955 before admission of main burner gas to the manifold 2, so that upon such admission the consequently emergmg gas from the burner head will be immediately ignited by the pilot.

What has thus far been described is usual in the art as will be well recognized by one familiar therewith.

The cap 9 is provided at the end of the manifold 2, having a relatively small threaded` opening to receive a plug such as the plug 10, removable for temporary attachment of a gas pressure gauge.

According to this invention I provide a pilot gas regulator generally indicated at R, to receive gas from the line 11 and therefrom serve the pilot line 8 with gas at regulated constant pressure.

As here shown, the regulator R has a hollow body 12, a diaphragm 13 dividing the hollow of the body into two chambers, a valve 14 in the lower chamber arranged to control flow through the regulator from the line 11 to the line 8, subject to the diaphragm 13 with which it has connection as indicated. A spring 15 is arranged in the upper chamber to yieldably oppose valve-closing motion of the diaphragm 13, and a vent opening 16 is provided in the top of the body 12 elective on the upper chamber.

The functioning of the regulator R while the main burner is shut down will be as known in the art. Brieliy, the pressure of pilot gas entering from the line 11, will be effective in the lower chamber, against the diaphragm 13 which will raise the valve 14 to throttling location, against the action of the spring 15, the upper chamber being vented through the opening 16. Thus, since the greater the inlet gas pressure, the greater will be the throttling elfect by the valve 14,;and vice versa, a constant pressure will be automatically maintained in the line 8 to the pilot regardless of pressure fluctuations in the line 11.

Further according to this invention the regulator R is mounted on the manifold 2.

As here shown, a T-litting T is provided. This fitting has a lateral member 17 threaded into the cap 9, an upstanding member 18 threaded to receive the plug 10, and a dependent member 19 threaded into the top of the body 12 of the regulator R.

The result of the arrangement is that, not only has the regulator R mounting support from the manifold 2,

but theupper regulator body chamber, above the diaphragm 13, has communication with the interior of the manifold 2, by way of the vent 16 and fitting T, specilizally the passageways in the members 19 and 17 of the atter.

Thus when main gas supply is withheld from the manifold 2, which because of the opening in its spud 5 retains only atmospheric pressure, the regulator will operate as previously described, with the diaphragm 13 subject only to fluid pressure therebeneath and spring pressure thereabove.

When, however, gas is admitted to the manifold 2, for main burner operation, its fluid pressure will be eifective upon the diaphragm 13, cumulatively with respect to the spring 15. This will further open the valve 14 tg admit more gas at higher pressure to the pilot line Moreover, should leakage develop in the diaphragm 13, although the regulator R is located generally outside of the appliance, nevertheless gas escaping from such leakage will be vented, by way of the fitting T, the manifold 2, and the burner 1, into the combustion chamber from which it may be harmlessly carried away by natural draft" of the usual ue leading from the combustion chamber.

In practice, available gas pressure may vary greatly, particularly in night periods wherein many house-heating systems have minimum demand for heat so that only pilot operation is required. Under such conditions the arrangement of this invention provides reliable pilot operation when most important.

It will be apparent that the device of the invention is easily added to an installation not theretofore equipped with it, without direct effect upon main burner performance, while permitting pressure gauging by removal of the plug from the fitting T instead of from its previous location in the cap 9, as well as greatly improving pilot operation.

' What I claim is:

l. In an installation of the class described and including a main gas burner, a gas supply manifold therefor, and a pilot burner arranged to serve said main gas burner: a pilot gas regulator having a vent, means interconnecting said pilot burner and said regulator to provide gas supply to said pilot burner subject to said regulator, and means mounting said regulator on said manifold and having a through passageway providing interconnection between said vent and the manifold interior, said mounting means comprising a T-tting having a lateral member connected to the end of said manifold, a dependent member connected to said regulator, and an upstanding member having a removable plug.

2. In an installation of the class described and including a main burner, a gas supply manifold therefor, a pilot burner arranged to serve said main burner, a gas line to said pilot burner and including a regulator arranged therein to serve said pilot burner, said regulator including a regulator valve effective in said gas line, a diaphragm for actuating said valve and having a face exposed to pressure in said gas line downstream of said valve to thereby urge the valve toward closed position responsive to said pressure, and a vent effective on the other face of said diaphragm, and means interconnecting the interior of said vent and said manifold whereby, in the absence of pressure within said manifold said pilot will receive gas at relatively constant regulated pressure, upon pressure within said manifold to operate said main burner, said pilot will receive gas at relatively higher unregulated pressure, and upon leakage at said diaphragm said regulator would be vented to said manifold.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,469,394 Powers Oct. 2, 1923 1,988,553 Hall Jan. 22, 1935 2,016,234 Hughes Oct. l, 1935 

